Use purchased wood chips or cut your own (if you cut your own, wait at least two weeks before painting). Drill a hole in the top. Decorate either with paint (we used painter's tape and stickers to help with lines and lettering), or simply write on the wood with a Sharpie.

To add color to a package wrapped in kraft paper, hot-glue a series of felt triangles to the front. (Cut triangles from a red felt sheet.) Wrap a coordinating ribbon around the sides without the triangles. Finish with a pom-pom on top.

Accent a gift with decorative ribbons. For added embellishment, use embroidery thread and a needle to create a cross-stitch and/or running stitch design. Make the bow out of a cardboard paper towel tube. Flatten the tube lengthwise, then cut it into five pieces of equal width. Hot-glue ends together to form a bow.

Looking for something a little different, or have leftover papers in the house? Think outside the box for wrapping paper. Wallpaper, art paper, even shelving liner can all become pretty Christmas wrap.

Any kid at heart will tell you that the wrapping often is just as much fun as the gift. Get children involved in holiday gift-giving by offering them plain wrapping paper to decorate. Their drawings, cutouts, stamps, glued-on pom-poms and scrawled letters promise personal touches no wrapping-paper company can match.

Take a fine-tip permanent marker to kraft paper (before wrapping your gift), and draw a fun freehand pattern, such as loose figure eights that don't have to be perfect. Layer on ribbons to one side so they don't hide too much artwork. If you like, first adorn ribbons with decorative stitching.

Dress up a package with tags recycled from pretty holiday cards. Use a tag punch to create the shape, then trim with chenille stem or other embellishments. Punch a hole near the top, and if you like, finish with a metal eyelet.

To create this pretty gift, wrap holiday-theme yarn, string or cording five or six times around your package. Cut or punch out three felt circles to layer on top of the yarn. If you have the time, stitch simple holiday shapes, like stars or trees, on the felt circles before hot-gluing them on.

Handmade paper purchased at an art store and sheer tulle tied as ribbon give gifts a texture that's hard to resist. Add a personal gift tag and unique spice stamp. To make the stamp, sand one side of a star anise, dip it in glittery ink and press it on the tag.

Tuck a greenery twig under a ribbon for a fresh look just before you give a package (or use artificial greens for long-lasting appeal). Wire small ornaments to the sprouts to look like a miniature Christmas tree.

Use different styles of coordinating ribbon to create a lovely woven effect. Tape on three vertical ribbons, then weave through two horizontal ribbons and tape on the back. Instead of a tag, use a scrapbook letter to signify the gift recipient's first name.